Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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Paternal Family Tree: Poyntz
On 20th January 1770 William Stephen Poyntz was born to [his father] William Poyntz [age 35].
On 1st September 1794 William Stephen Poyntz [age 24] and Elizabeth Mary Browne [age 26] were married.
On 27th March 1799 [his daughter] Elizabeth Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer was born to William Stephen Poyntz [age 29] and [his wife] Elizabeth Mary Browne [age 31]. She married 23rd February 1830 her second cousin Frederick Spencer 4th Earl Spencer, son of George John Spencer 2nd Earl Spencer and Lavinia Bingham Countess Spencer, and had issue.
In June 1800 William Stephen Poyntz [age 30] was elected MP St Albans.
On 6th March 1803 [his daughter] Frances Isabella Selina Poyntz Marchioness of Exeter was born to William Stephen Poyntz [age 33] and [his wife] Elizabeth Mary Browne [age 35]. She married (1) 12th May 1824 Brownlow Cecil 2nd Marquess Exeter, son of Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter and Sarah Hoggins Countess Exeter, and had issue (2) July 1835 her third cousin Horace Beauchamp Seymour-Conway.
On 13th May 1809 [his father] William Poyntz [age 75] died.
In April 1810 William Stephen Poyntz [age 40] was elected MP Callington.
On 7th July 1815 two sons of William Stephen Poyntz [age 45] and [his wife] Elizabeth Mary Browne [age 47]drowned at Bognor Regis, West Sussex.
In February 1823 William Stephen Poyntz [age 53] was elected MP Chichester.
On 12th May 1824 [his son-in-law] Brownlow Cecil 2nd Marquess Exeter [age 28] and [his daughter] Frances Isabella Selina Poyntz Marchioness of Exeter [age 21] were married. She by marriage Marchioness Exeter. He the son of Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter and Sarah Hoggins Countess Exeter.
On 23rd February 1830 [his son-in-law] Frederick Spencer 4th Earl Spencer [age 31] and [his daughter] Elizabeth Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer [age 30] were married. He the son of George John Spencer 2nd Earl Spencer [age 71] and Lavinia Bingham Countess Spencer [age 68]. They were second cousins.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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On 30th December 1830 [his wife] Elizabeth Mary Browne [age 63] died. Monument sculpted by Francis Leggatt Chantrey [age 49] in St Mary's Church, Easebourne, Sussex [Map].
Elizabeth Mary Browne: On 5th December 1767 she was born to Anthony Joseph Browne 7th Viscount Montagu and Frances Falconer Mackworth Viscountess Montague. On 1st September 1794 William Stephen Poyntz and she were married. On 7th July 1815 two sons of William Stephen Poyntz and Elizabeth Mary Brownedrowned at Bognor Regis, West Sussex.
In March 1831 William Stephen Poyntz [age 61] was elected MP Ashburton.
In 1835 William Stephen Poyntz [age 64] was elected MP Midhurst.
In July 1835 [his son-in-law] Horace Beauchamp Seymour-Conway [age 43] and [his daughter] Frances Isabella Selina Poyntz Marchioness of Exeter [age 32] were married. They were third cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland.
On 8th April 1840 William Stephen Poyntz [age 70] died. Monument sculpted by Rafaelle Monti [age 22] in 1848 in St Mary's Church, Easebourne, Sussex [Map].
Rafaelle Monti: In 1818 he was born in Milan. In 1881 he died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 19 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 25 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 20 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 12 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 28 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 22 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 25 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Poyntz 
9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Poyntz 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Newdigate Poyntz 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Poyntz 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
GrandFather: Stephen Poyntz 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Father: William Poyntz 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Mordaunt 4th Baron Mordaunt 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Mordaunt 1st Earl Peterborough 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Compton Baroness Mordaunt 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Mordaunt 1st Viscount Mordaunt 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Howard 3rd Baron Howard of Effingham 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Howard Countess Peterborough 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne St John Lady Effingham 
10 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Lewis Mordaunt 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Carey 1st Earl Monmouth 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Carey 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Trevannion Countess Monmouth
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Carey Viscountess Mordaunt 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Smith
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Smith
GrandMother: Anna Maria Mordaunt 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
William Stephen Poyntz 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England